When the Halo television series was announced, some hardcore fans were disappointed to find out that the show wasn’t going to follow the same storyline as the games. In the latest debrief by 343 Industries, though, community writer Alex Wakeford and franchise creative director Frank O’Connor helped explain how the upcoming series’ story will compare to the game’s original timeline.
“Basically, we want to use the existing Halo lore, history, canon, and characters wherever they make sense for a linear narrative, but also separate the two distinctly so that we don’t invalidate the core canon or do unnatural things to force a first-person video game into an ensemble TV show,” O’Connor said. “The game canon and its extended lore in novels, comics, and other outlets is core, original, and will continue unbroken for as long as we make Halo games.”
This means that both universes will share multiple characters and events that seasoned Halo fans will recognize but will ultimately be different from each other in unique ways. What makes sense for the game’s story might not exactly align with the show’s trajectory, which could lead to “surprises, differences, and twists that will run parallel, but not identically to core canon.”
In the beginning of Halo: Combat Evolved, for example, Master Chief and Cortana happen to find the first Halo ring by sheer coincidence after being attacked by the Covenant. In the upcoming Halo series, O’Connor says this moment has been removed from the lore. Established events within the story will still reach their intended conclusion, but the journey to the end is what will be changed.
O’Connor also confirmed that there will be a high chance of crossovers between the Silver Timeline and core canon, like a new vehicle model found in the game could eventually make an appearance in the show and vice-versa. They might be two different timelines, but ultimately, the show and the game are “connected by the same DNA and the intention is to keep making the two the best they can be, not to distract from, avoid, or ape each other.”
You can check out the entire debriefing on 343’s official website. A new trailer is set to release during the AFC Championship game on Sunday, Jan. 30. Every fan should be ready for deployment when the Halo series releases later this year.
